With the exception of White Zinfandel, Merlot may be the most-maligned wine in a couple of decades. In the 2004 movie Sideways, Miles, the main character and Pinot Noir lover, repeatedly trashes Merlot as the Worst. Grape. Ever. Somehow the wave caught on, and Pinot Noir sales soared while Merlot staggered along.

Of course Miles was right, to a point. The U.S. was awash in mediocre Merlot, most of which didn't even come close to realizing the potential of the grape. (Now we have the same problem with Pinot Noir, but I digress.) Merlot does have its merits, and I ask you to give it--or rather, certain bottlings of it--a chance.

Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot tends to be softer, less tannic, and fruitier. Its flavors range from cherry to black plum and a hint of herbaciousness. In Bordeaux, Merlot is one of the two main varietals (along with Cabernet Sauvignon) and on the Right Bank is the dominant varietal.

Read my Merlot recommendations after the jump.

Stateside and around the world, there's still plenty of bad Merlot, but there's good stuff if you look hard enough. One of my favorite wines at the moment is the Red Diamond Merlot, a Washington blend of 79% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Syrah that's lush, juicy, easy to drink, and unbelievable quality for the price ($9). Every time I bring this wine to a dinner or serve it at home, people rave over it.

Our neighbor Bryan just brought us a bottle of Frontera Merlot, a Concha y Toro wine Chilean blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Carmenere. It tastes drier than the Red Diamond and has a distinctive green pepper taste (often found in Chilean wines), and is great with food and a bargain at $8.

On the high end, Washington is becoming known for its exceptional Merlot production, and if you can afford it, there's always Bordeaux. For Christmas dinner I opened the 2005 Three Rivers Winery Champoux Vineyard Merlot ($40) that we brought back from Walla Walla, Washington, this summer. Made to age, the wine could have stayed in the cellar for many more years (Parker estimates through 2027). Even drunk young, we could taste the many layers of flavor and excellent structure. The fruit was high-quality and the balance perfect. It was so good that we fought over the last glass, even as we made fun of the bottle: "Pass the Shampoo, please." "Do you mean the Conditioner?"

As to Miles, he really didn't hate Merlot that much--just the watered-down, mass-produced versions so popular at the time the movie was made. Note the end of the movie: Miles sits in a fast-food restaurant, alone, sipping his prized bottle of 1961 Cheval Blanc from a Styrofoam cup. The irony? The Cheval Blanc is a Merlot-based blend.

Had any good Merlot lately? Please share in the comments!